British Mountain Biking Champion Regrets Sport’s Exclusion from Commonwealth Games

Harriet Harden, a 17-time British mountain biking champion from Malvern, Worcestershire, expressed regret regarding the sport’s removal from the Commonwealth Games. She stated that the games offered a valuable opportunity to engage new participants in the sport. A reduced version of the games is scheduled to occur in Glasgow in two years, following the Australian state of Victoria’s withdrawal as host, citing escalating costs. Mountain biking was among 10 events removed from the 2026 games, alongside sports such as hockey, badminton, wrestling, cricket, and shooting. Although Harnden currently specializes in downhill racing rather than cross country mountain biking, she indicated that she still harbored competitive aspirations. She remarked, “It’s definitely a shame. Even though I’m not racing cross country now, there was a time I wanted to go to the Commonwealth games. It’ll definitely make an impact on the younger generation. To not see those things happening so much – it’s a real shame.” Harnden, who secured victory in the Enduro World Cup in September, emphasized the significance of the games for mountain bikers. She added, “It would be sad to see it completely disappear. Hopefully it comes back in later years, but I guess we’ll kind of wait and see.” The article concluded with information on following BBC Hereford & Worcester via BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. It also contained a copyright notice for 2024 BBC, stating all rights reserved, and a disclaimer regarding the BBC’s responsibility for external site content, alongside a reference to their external linking approach.